Laboratory study of erosion processes in snow avalanches

In order to better understand the mechanics of erosive processes characteristic of snow avalanche flows, a series of laboratory experiments were carried out. In these experiments a mass of dry granular material was released in a channel with rectangular cross-section. A part of the channel was covered with an erodible layer. The experiments were recorded with a high-speed digital camera and the interaction between the flowing material and the erodible bed was studied using different colours for the two materials. The records allowed an extremely detailed high-frequency visualisation of the phenomenon. Observations of the erosion mechanisms as well as measurements of the erosion rates were performed. The results of the experiments were analysed and interpreted with respect to some theoretical erosion models from the literature.